Krtek The Little Mole

For as long as I've been discovering Czech culture it seems like Krtek has been there, in the background, on mugs, t shirts or DVDs. It's not difficult to realise that this little mole is a huge part of Czech culture since it's creation in the 1950's Czechoslovakia.

So who is this little mole?

Krtek (or Krteček 'little mole') is an animated series for children following the adventures of the eponymous mole and his friends Králík (Rabbit), Myška (Mouse), Ježek (Hedgehog) and Žabka (Frog). Communicating only in squeaks, Krtek and his friends solves various problems with teamwork and a healthy sense of mischief.

The History of Krtek- Inception

Krtek is the brainchild of Zdeněk Miller, who created him in 1956 in Prague. Miller was orginally trying to develop a cartoon which demonstrated how flax was processed. Miller wanted to have an animal as the main character in his animation, closely following the example of Disney. Miller is said to have stumbled over a molehill during a walk one day which gave the idea to choose a mole. That day, Krtek was born. 

The first episde of Krtek was "Jak Krtek ke kalhotkám přišel" (How the Mole got his trousers) and is the only film where we hear Krtek speak. Miller decided that in subsequent episodes, the mole would only express himself in squeaks and the occasional "hop!", "hele!" (oh) or "jauvajs" (ouch), in order to make his cartoon universally understandable. 

Since its inception, Krtek has been translated into many European languages including German, Russian, Slovak, French and English. These days there are Krtek books, DVDs, t-shirts (I have one) and toys (got one of those too). 

From a green star to the actual stars

Krtek turns sixty next year, but he hasn't showed any signs of slowing down any time soon. Despite his mishaps in the 1965 episode "Krtek a Raketa (Krtek and the Rocket), in 2011 Krtek was on board on the Space Shuttle Endeavour, accompanying U.S astronaut Andrew Feustel on the STS-134 mission. Feustel's wife is of Czech ancestry which prompted him to take a 12 inch Krtek toy with him as a personal item. 

Conquering the world?

In 2012, Apple announced that they would help Krtek enter the US market, with Krtek inspired toys, iPhone apps and games to be launched not just in the US but all over the world. It would seem, therefore, that as Krtek reaches retirement age, his legacy is set to continue for years to come.

Below is one of my favourite Krtek animations, Krtek a zelená hvězda (Krtek and the green star). If you have a minute, give it a watch. Comments, as always, are welcomed and encouraged.


 
Krtek a zelená hvězda from ceskedeti on Vimeo.